Listened to the Southampton game and we sounded outstanding, deserved a win, very bad luck with the offside.

So depressing though to hear Dyche’s tiring comments after the game, hinting at making more changes for Thursday. I’ve been saying it all pre-season, mainly because the guy is so damn predictable, that when every home game is a minimum 150 mile drive, if we wait so long to get into Europe and then chuck it away against a really good team, I’m entitled to ask, “what’s the point?”. I suspect I would be far from the only one furious with it. Burnley fans have been going on about European history for 50 years, we have a hunger for more of it, and as we try to become “established”, mid table can be quite a boring place.

The game is no different to a Sat/Wed/Sat Premier league run of three games. Being at home has to help.

I’m sure the team will go full tilt, this is the highlight of their careers some of them, but a bit like League and FA Cups, they are bound to question in their heads why they are asked to give 100% when the manager doesn’t prioritise that competition.

A real shame if Sean won my total support with his fantastic approach to maximum effort being the minimum requirement, but then lost that support by not exerting the same effort himself. I sense without exaggeration it would be the beginning of the end, and I just hope he sees sense, but I can feel a kind of foreboding about it. We would become a bit like Stoke when they started getting fed up with Pulis - pragmatism can be accepted when it gives the fans what they desire, but not when it deliberately doesn’t.

No need to chastise me for my unusual pessimism, I’m chastising myself, but I want what I want - a European run.

https://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/new ... ning-draw/

As much as I can’t wait to book the flights to Athens you can completely understand dyche’s viewpoint here.

Get a life!

He'd be right to make some changes, such as Taylor and Gibson. Keep the squad fresh and others ready to step in at any point.

"There’s every chance we’ll change things again on Thursday.

I’ve said all along that although the Europa League is a badge of honour for a club like ours, we have to remind ourselves that the Premier League is what we are about and that remains our biggest challenge.”

Don't see anything wrong with his comments. We are bound to make changes, that is why we have assembled a squad with strength and depth. I wouldn't see bringing Heaton, Taylor, Gibson, Vokes and Barnes into the side, for example, as weakening the team.

It's a balancing act. We're clearly not going to forfeit our European run to focus all of our efforts on the league or we'd have lost to Aberdeen or Istanbul. But Dyche has got to ensure that he can field a team on Sunday which is capable of beating Watford. If that means resting a few players on Thursday then so be it. It's squad rotation, most teams do it.

Over the top OP.

If I'd have been offered a defeat today for a win on Thursday I'd have snapped your hand off. Know it won't be popular but I just can't get excited about merely trying to survive in the Prem every year. I'll be absolutely gutted if we get knocked out on Thursday.

He sees it exactly as it is.
We put out a very strong team and progress through another couple of rounds in Europe before getting knocked out, In the meantime we struggle in the PL and finish getting relegated. What will the fans say then? In fact, what will they say if there is even a hint of that scenario ==will they be patient and say well at least we had a European run?
It's bad enough now because we aren't in the top half of the table!!

jrgbfc wrote:If I'd have been offered a defeat today for a win on Thursday I'd have snapped your hand off. Know it won't be popular but I just can't get excited about merely trying to survive in the Prem every year. I'll be absolutely gutted if we get knocked out on Thursday.

Who says we're merely trying to survive in the Prem every year? That certainly didn't seem to be our only ambition last season so it's bizarre you would think that is the club's aim this season.

Let me get this right, you think he should prioritise a 'run' in Europe over a season in the Premier league?

Let's face it last season was a freak that's extremely unlikely to be repeated. This is likely to be the one chance most of us get to watch us play in Europe in our lifetime. Sorry if I find that more exciting than playing the likes of Watford, Bournemouth etc.

jrgbfc wrote:If I'd have been offered a defeat today for a win on Thursday I'd have snapped your hand off. Know it won't be popular but I just can't get excited about merely trying to survive in the Prem every year. I'll be absolutely gutted if we get knocked out on Thursday.

So pleased we're in the Europa qualifying rounds and I want to get as far as we possibly can. But PL has to be the priority. We have players in the squad who could easily be considered good enough to start e.g. Heaton, Gibson, Taylor, Barnes and Vokes. I'd have no problem any of those starting on Thursday or Sunday for that matter.

jrgbfc wrote:Let's face it last season was a freak that's extremely unlikely to be repeated. This is likely to be the one chance most of us get to watch us play in Europe in our lifetime. Sorry if I find that more exciting than playing the likes of Watford, Bournemouth etc.

And you’ve now had that chance.

Are you glad you got that off your chest Crosspool?

jrgbfc wrote:Let's face it last season was a freak that's extremely unlikely to be repeated. This is likely to be the one chance most of us get to watch us play in Europe in our lifetime. Sorry if I find that more exciting than playing the likes of Watford, Bournemouth etc.

No need to apologise, if that's how you feel then fine. Of course playing in Europe is exciting, although to use Watford and Bournemouth as Premier League examples is poor. I get more excited by the idea of playing Manchester United than Aberdeen.

I guarantee the fans that want us to put all of our eggs into the European basket will be the first to moan if we get knocked out in the group stage and then get relegated from the Premier League. Like I say, it's a balancing act.

Transfer window closed so must find new topic to moan about.

Thursday is a great chance to start Gibson and even Vydra to get them used to the way we play. As long as we try to win the game (which we didn’t in Istanbul)

Draw today
Win thurs
Win sun at home

Dont see the big fuss

I'm just home from Soton (sw London). We played like a Premier League team today - yes, with a bit more in their penalty area and we should have got 3 points. Burnley were the better of the two teams. Last season at Soton was defend, defend, resist the pressure, defend some more and snatch a goal to get three points. We might not come 7th this season. We might not get to the group stages in the Europa, But, we are looking like "we belong" in the Premier League - and we have the depth in out squad to "ride a few knocks" and players out for some time.

We've never had the squad before that would allow for some rotation, rest a few key players and keep them fresh for the next important game.... So, we aren't used to the manager saying "I'll make some changes...." I don't think Sean means "I'll play some of the youngsters.... because the game isn't important."

There are mixed views on the transfer window. We are starting to get a sense of the money required to fund a Premier League team. Sean knows that to continue the "marginal improvements" the Clarets must stay in the Premier League. Anything else and all the success achieved to date will be lost and it will be start all over again.

UTC

Wenger used to aim for 4th place every season it seemed.

Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans

He will put out the team that he thinks will progress us. It might not be our strongest 11 but if they get through who cares.
PL has to be priority for us purely for the finance available to take the club forward.
Anyone thinking relegation would bring us straight back up again is a dreamer.

Hibsclaret wrote:Thursday is a great chance to start Gibson and even Vydra to get them used to the way we play. As long as we try to win the game (which we didn’t in Istanbul)

We tried very hard not to lose it and managed it.

It was a leading question... could there be changes again on Thursday? Dyche said Yes. Not sure what he has done wrong?

Silkyskills1 wrote:We tried very hard not to lose it and managed it.

Agree. However, you often need away goals in Europe so we shall see whether it was wise to punt well placed free kicks to the corner flag

only 53 more points to match last season only 1.43 pts per game so win next sunday puts us on target

I liked the team we played in Istanbul. Seemed like the right blend to get a result and it would have done wonders for the likes of Taylor, Bardsley and the much maligned (unfairly in my view) Walters to build confidence.
There was only a couple of changes between that team and today’s (the full backs and Wood).
Wood is not everyone’s favourite to lead the line on his own (out of Wood, Barnes and Vokes), Hendrick appears to be nobody’s fave to play the no. 10 and many would see Taylor as a preferable option to Wood.
Raises the question whether there’s any discernible difference in quality between Dyches first choice Europa and PL line-up. I think he’s doing his utmost to maximise potential in both rather than choosing one over the other.

Hibsclaret wrote:Thursday is a great chance to start Gibson and even Vydra to get them used to the way we play. As long as we try to win the game (which we didn’t in Istanbul)

They wont be in the squad though will they?

Gibson will

That is a shocking original post. If Sean didn't rotate our squad when we are playing Thursday/Sunday each week he would be certifiable

My original post was out of despair. I’m a big Dyche fan, but I’m desparate for us to give Europe a good go. I only cancelled Istanbul at the last minute. If I had gone, and seen, with all respect, Bardsley, Walters and Taylor, I’d have been gutted after spending a grand and waiting decades. Taylor is fairly good but remember the stat last year about us not winning with him playing. Visca had him on toast.

Despite that though, I understood it. If we do the same at home, I wouldn’t. It is, as I said, like a Premier League triple header, which, as we do, we would go strong each time in.

One or two changes would be fine if they are strong ones (e.g. Gibson, Heaton). But six would be crossing the line. Sean’s comments today and the lack of need for him to have said anything suggest the latter not the former, which I’d view as unacceptable. That’s the context I’ll be judging it in.

“Burnley fans have been going on about European history for 50 years”

I might be in the minority, but I haven’t.

brigante wrote:“Burnley fans have been going on about European history for 50 years”

I might be in the minority, but I haven’t.

If I had a fiver for every time somehow has told me about, or written about, Napoli etc, I would be a rich man.

It’s what makes us who we are. Why we are, with the greatest of respect, a bigger club than the likes of PNE. Post war history and pride. We have to embrace it. And want more.

Wanting more, yes, but not at all costs.

If you consider last season to have been a freak season like another poster, I can understand the more desperate approach.

For me, I may be in the minority again in suggesting that we were actually unlucky not to have snaffled sixth due to injuries.

There’s more in BFC to come under Sean Dyche. In the short term be careful what you wish for I say.

By the way, to compare and contrast. Last year Everton got an easier draw, a minnow in Q3 and Split in the Play Off rounds. They had Stoke, City and Chelsea sandwiched amongst them.

Bar one change for Europe (Lookman) they played their best side in all of them. They won through to the group stages and got 4 points from 3 games in the PL. In the end, they finished where we would expect to this season, mid table, and had a good little run in Europe. Good for them. I hope we do the same.Unlike Everton, we are small, we won’t get a second chance. I do though think Sean is great, we will finish 10th to 14th most seasons. But that shouldn’t be deemed enough. We’re not gambling it all by going strong on Thursday, it’s August, not May. If we get in the group stages, I would accept some pragmatism. To a degree.

I agree with the OP. Obviously if we do well in Europe, we will have to play 28 games in the 20 weeks before the transfer window, wheras if we get knocked out on Thursday we will only have to play 20 games. (League Cup ignored because we will play the under 23's.) And then when January comes, we have another 18 league games (plus Europe) to play in the last 20 weeks or so.

Does that sound such an impossible task for most of the players? If we have to play a total of 52 games in the season, including the four we have already played, that it will turn our well-organised and fit seventh-played team into a well-organised but unfit shambles? I don't see any reason for getting relegated even if we do have a good season in Europe. The team is too well set up for that. I wouldn't give up the excitement of Europe just so we can reduce our (say) 5% chance of relegation down to 2%.

If BFC's entire aim for evermore is to stave off relegation for as long as possible, and making sure that nothing positive and exciting ever happens because positive and exciting things are bad for the club, then it's all gone desperately wrong. Accrington Stanley last year had a more exciting time than we could have under those circumstances.

I can't see anything wrong with answering the question in a manner that doesn't provide our opponents with any clear information about how we are actually going to set up.

Maybe we should nail down our set up and then mail them our team sheet ahead of the game to see if they are happy with it or whether they want us to make any changes to it.

CrosspoolClarets wrote:If I had a fiver for every time somehow has told me about, or written about, Napoli etc, I would be a rich man.

It’s what makes us who we are. Why we are, with the greatest of respect, a bigger club than the likes of PNE. Post war history and pride. We have to embrace it. And want more.

bigger than pne. there's ambition for you!

Look who cares about how far we get in Europe it's not important the premier league is the most important competition the finances it brings the prestige the way everyone know who Burnley are we have to make sure we remain in the premier league if we get beat on Thursday but beat Watford then that's good I can't understand why some Burnley fans are so fixated with having a good run in Europe I also will never slate Burnley like a section of Burnley supporters do not saying on this site but on social media they say negative things especially when we lose if you don't like losing then go support Barcelona and another thing in terms of our squad don't know why people keep slagging off players like Taylor Westwood and long Westwood is not defour we know but always puts in a shift long performed admirably last season when called upon and Taylor is a good player with a great left peg and can really cross a ball so get behind them don't criticise support them when you support Burnley that means the whole club not certain players anyway beat Watford Sunday please looking forward to seeing defour and Brady coming back and also seeing how vydra settles into the Burnley team lots in the premier league to look forward to UTC

CrosspoolClarets wrote:I do though think Sean is great, we will finish 10th to 14th most seasons. But that shouldn’t be deemed enough.

Im sorry but anywhere between 10th and 17th will do me fine for the next few seasons. Anything higher would be a tremendous bonus still.

What a good job we are blessed with a manager who is his own man.
Thank goodness he isn't swayed by some of the stupid and ill-considered comments some posters present for our digestion.
Let Mr Dyche get on with the job for which he is paid and stop pretending you know best.
He has, and always will have the clubs best interest at heart.
UTC
In Europe and the Premier....!

Robbie Brady 12 wrote:Look who cares about how far we get in Europe it's not important the premier league is the most important competition the finances it brings the prestige the way everyone know who Burnley are we have to make sure we remain in the premier league if we get beat on Thursday but beat Watford then that's good I can't understand why some Burnley fans are so fixated with having a good run in Europe I also will never slate Burnley like a section of Burnley supporters do not saying on this site but on social media they say negative things especially when we lose if you don't like losing then go support Barcelona and another thing in terms of our squad don't know why people keep slagging off players like Taylor Westwood and long Westwood is not defour we know but always puts in a shift long performed admirably last season when called upon and Taylor is a good player with a great left peg and can really cross a ball so get behind them don't criticise support them when you support Burnley that means the whole club not certain players anyway beat Watford Sunday please looking forward to seeing defour and Brady coming back and also seeing how vydra settles into the Burnley team lots in the premier league to look forward to UTC

full stop?

Robbie Brady 12 wrote:

"who cares about how far we get in Europe it's not important the premier league is the most important competition the finances it brings the prestige the way everyone know who Burnley are we have to make sure we remain in the premier league if we get beat on Thursday but beat Watford then that's good I can't understand why some Burnley fans are so fixated with having a good run in Europe I also will never slate Burnley like a section of Burnley supporters do not saying on this site but on social media they say negative things especially when we lose if you don't like losing then go support Barcelona and another thing in terms of our squad don't know why people keep slagging off players like Taylor Westwood and long Westwood is not defour we know but always puts in a shift long performed admirably last season when called upon and Taylor is a good player with a great left peg and can really cross a ball so get behind them don't criticise support them when you support Burnley that means the whole club not certain players anyway beat Watford Sunday please looking forward to seeing defour and Brady coming back and also seeing how vydra settles into the Burnley team lots in the premier league to look forward to"


I ran out of puff halfway.

That's what happens when you faff about all summer transfer window until the very end, we made 3 excellent additions in 3 days when we probably needed 5 excellent additions in 3 months. Taylor and Walters playing on the wing, no central midfielder on the bench, more games to play this season. Just unnecessary gambles to take with the insane income we receive for last years finish.

The funny thing is, we stepped up the urgency in the final week of the window and got deals done, why was this? Vydra wasn't a target all summer (Vydra said the first he heard was a few days before he signed), Hart wasn't a target all summer (Pope/Lindegaard injuries) , Gibson wasn't a priority target (Dyche said Pulis and Boro very easy to deal with, deal done in a couple of days). So we got 3 players in, very quickly, why wasn't the same urgency shown in the previous 11 weeks of the window? All 3 players were available (Vydra was rumoured to be joining Leeds, Gibson's move to Soton collapsed and Hart obviously wasn't wanted at City).

We ultimately ran out of time to get the extra 2 bodies in because we chose to spend 12 weeks of the transfer window sat on our hands hoping Rodriguez and Dawson were suddenly going to become cheaper the more desperate we became. Why wasn't the Rodriguez deal done? he wanted to come, we offered £16M, many reported WBA wanted £18M (Boden one of them), so we missed out on our main transfer target for the sake of an extra £2M? bizarre really

KRBFC wrote:That's what happens when you faff about all summer transfer window until the very end, we made 3 excellent additions in 3 days when we probably needed 5 excellent additions in 3 months. Taylor and Walters playing on the wing, no central midfielder on the bench, more games to play this season. Just unnecessary gambles to take with the insane income we receive for last years finish.

The funny thing is, we stepped up the urgency in the final week of the window and got deals done, why was this? Vydra wasn't a target all summer (Vydra said the first he heard was a few days before he signed), Hart wasn't a target all summer (Pope/Lindegaard injuries) , Gibson wasn't a priority target (Dyche said Pulis and Boro very easy to deal with, deal done in a couple of days). So we got 3 players in, very quickly, why wasn't the same urgency shown in the previous 11 weeks of the window? All 3 players were available (Vydra was rumoured to be joining Leeds, Gibson's move to Soton collapsed and Hart obviously wasn't wanted at City).

We ultimately ran out of time to get the extra 2 bodies in because we chose to spend 12 weeks of the transfer window sat on our hands hoping Rodriguez and Dawson were suddenly going to become cheaper the more desperate we became. Why wasn't the Rodriguez deal done? he wanted to come, we offered £16M, many reported WBA wanted £18M (Boden one of them), so we missed out on our main transfer target for the sake of an extra £2M? bizarre really

it might have took dyches dissatisfied comments in the media before funds were allowed to sign anyone

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:Transfer window closed so must find new topic to moan about.

It will the ground moans very soon...

Bin Ont Turf wrote:Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans

Is that a band?

Can't be forgotten that it's a 3,000 mile round trip to Istanbul, wouldn't get that on a Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday whoever you were playing. Got two good results away from home with the teams we put out so that'll do me.

Remember the days when we had to put an outfield player between the sticks?

I’m just glad we can even talk about “rotation”.

Ps GWW have you looked at the price of flights to Athens!

He has to keep the squad fresh. He won't make wholesale changes but he could change his back 5 if he wanted. Heaton, Bardsley, Taylor, Long and Gibson isn't short of experience or quality. It's the same up front. He'll probably start Barnes and Vokes rather than Hendrick and Wood. These aren't kids, these are our first teamers!

The only area of worry is CM as we can't expect Cork and Westwood to play 90 minutes or more twice a week, every week! We could do with Sean accepting that Hendrick isn't a number 10 so he can alternate resting Cork or Westwood when required. Playing all three in the same game, as yesterday, is asking for trouble.